ALDO Group the first fashion footwear and accessories company in the world to be certified climate neutral

MONTREAL, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - South Pole, a world-leading developer of climate action projects, certified the ALDO Group as climate neutral according to South Pole's climate neutral company label criteria. The ALDO Group offset 100% of the carbon emissions produced in 2017 by its corporate stores, offices and distribution centres, and will continue this commitment moving forward.

"The ALDO Group is driven by one purpose: we are on a journey to create a world of love, confidence and belonging. This is what motivates us to make positive change in the world that goes beyond our brands, products and the services we sell," said David Bensadoun, CEO of the ALDO Group. "We recognize the impact our industry has on global climate change and are motivated to attack this problem head-on. We still have work to do, but we strongly believe that a low-carbon future is possible and are committed to doing our part by going climate neutral today. Our goal is to make it easy for our customers to stay fashionable and to choose good."

"We applaud the ALDO Group for its steadfast commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its business and working to create a sustainable society," said Renat Heuberger, CEO and Co-Founder of South Pole. "We are proud to have worked with the ALDO Group in its journey to climate neutrality, and we hope that their actions will inspire other retailers to join the movement by also setting ambitious targets and committing to bold climate action."

Social consciousness has always been at the heart of the ALDO Group's actions, as it strives to move the dial forward and influence society not only in fashion but also social responsibility. Among others, the company is responsible for initiatives such as:

• A sustainable campus (recycling and composting facilities, plastic water-bottle free, electric vehicle charging stations, carpooling incentives, discounted public transit, and many more)
• Smarter and more sustainable packaging (made from certified materials with post-consumer recycled content that is recyclable and easy to disassemble)
• Prioritization of low-carbon shipping methods (69% less air freight for product transportation since 2013)
• Improving the environmental performance of the footwear and leather industries by working with the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and the Leather Working Group
• An independent global ethics hotline (www.aldogroup.com/ethics.htm).  
• Community days and paid hours to volunteer for all office associates around the world
• A commitment to diversity & inclusion, with a focus on female leadership. Today, 68% of the ALDO Group leaders are women (manager and up)
• An innovative wellness program encouraging associates to stay fit, eat healthy and reduce stress (on-site gym, mindfulness classes, chair massage services, nutritionist-approved meals, etc.)
• Work/life integration policies in offices (telecommuting guides, flex hours, summer Fridays, subsidized daycare, fresh take-out meals, etc.)

How did we get here?

The company's social responsibility philosophy stems from its purpose to create a world of love, confidence and belonging. In 2013, the ALDO Group calculated its carbon footprint and set itself a baseline for improvement. Since then, the company has improved the energy efficiency of its offices and corporate stores, resulting in a 33% reduction of its greenhouse gases in only five years. How was this done? By converting store lighting to 100% LED technology, implementing Energy Management Systems (EMS) that control lighting and ventilation and sourcing renewable energy. The ALDO Group also went a step further and implemented organization-wide initiatives to reduce business travel and product transport emissions.

To offset the remainder of its non-avoidable emissions, the ALDO Group purchases Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from wind farms located in regions where its corporate stores are located and invests in high-quality carbon credits that support low-impact, small hydroelectric projects in its top sourcing countries. These projects, in turn, create jobs locally and support the transition to a low-carbon economy. Global sustainability solutions provider South Pole certified the ALDO Group's climate neutrality and confirmed that the company is successfully offsetting its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions as well as a portion of its Scope 3 indirect emissions related to the company's business travel.

The ALDO Group is now moving on to the next phase of its low-carbon journey and working to set ambitious new objectives. The company hopes to reduce its carbon footprint even further by:

• Setting an ambitious emissions reduction target for 2030 grounded in climate science and having it validated by the Science-Based Target Initiative;
• Looking upstream at indirect supply chain emissions and partnering with vendors to help them improve;
• Sourcing more sustainable materials that will contribute to fewer greenhouse gas emissions;
• Working closely with the Sustainable Apparel Coalition to develop product footprint tools that will more accurately calculate and address fashion footwear's environmental impacts.

For more information about the ALDO Group's commitment to sustainability please visit: responsibility.aldogroup.com.

About the ALDO Group - A world-leading creator and operator of desirable footwear and accessory brands, the ALDO Group has 3,000 points of sale in over 100 countries around the world. The organization operates under two signature brands, Aldo and Call It Spring, and a multi-brand retail concept, GLOBO. The ALDO Group is also an industry-recognized wholesale leader and direct sourcing provider of fashion footwear and accessories.  In addition to the Head Office in Montreal, the ALDO Group has international offices in Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.aldogroup.com.

About South Pole
South Pole is a leading provider of global sustainability financing solutions and services, with over 250 experts in 18 global offices. For more than a decade, South Pole has worked with a wide range of public, private and civil sector organisations to accelerate the transition to a climate-smart society. South Pole has mobilised climate-finance for over 700 projects in emission reduction, renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable land-use, and has been recognised for its diligent project development and impact quantification approach with numerous industry awards. They currently hold the largest international portfolio of carbon offset and renewable energy projects of any provider in the market. The company's expertise covers project and technology finance, data and advisory on sustainability risks and opportunities, as well as the development of environmental commodities such as carbon and renewable energy credits. For more information, visit www.southpole.com.

SOURCE ALDO Group